LONDON (Reuters) - Singer Cheryl Cole celebrated a rare double success on Sunday as her debut solo album joined her first solo single at the top of the British pop charts.
Cole, a member of Girls Aloud and a judge on the hit British TV talent show "The X Factor," becomes only the 12th female artist to have claimed top spot in both charts at the same time, the Official Charts Company said.
That means she follows in the footsteps of the likes of Barbra Streisand, Madonna and Celine Dion while Lily Allen and Lady Gaga have also matched the achievement this year.Cole's album "3 Words" entered the charts in top spot ahead of singer and actor Michael Buble's "Crazy Love" with the Michael Jackson's posthumous "This Is It" only debuting in third place.
"3 Words now looks set to be one of the biggest albums of this coming Christmas," said Martin Talbot, Managing Director of the Official Charts Company."Coming Home," a debut album of covers by the Soldiers, three serving British servicemen to raise money for a military charity, was another new entry in fourth with last week's number one, "Overcome" by X Factor winner Alexandra Burke in fifth.
Meanwhile Cole's "Fight for This Love," which has already become the fastest-selling single of the year, remained in top spot in the singles chart.Irish boy band Westlife's "What About Now" debuted in second place with "Down," a new entry from British R&B singer Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne, in third.
Burke's "Bad Boys" slipped from top spot to fourth while "Haven't Met You Yet" by Buble was in fifth.(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Jon Boyle)
